


A Kiss at Midnight

by wrldtravler



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, New Year's Kiss, No island, mild swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 16:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13239594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrldtravler/pseuds/wrldtravler
Summary: New Year's Eve, one year ago, Oliver had the night of his life with a beautiful, mysterious woman at Verdant's masquerade party. Now, it's time to find out exactly who was behind the mask.





	A Kiss at Midnight

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year!!! Here’s a cute little Olicity one-shot loosely inspired by one of the plot lines from the movie _New Year’s Eve_ to start the year off right. Enjoy guys!

**New Year's Eve 2016, 11:59 pm**

_"10... 9... 8..." The crowd around them shouted enthusiastically._

_As he stared down at the captivating greyish-blue eyes belonging to the mysterious face cupped between his large hands, Oliver simultaneously felt a pang of longing and the swell of hope rising in his chest._

_This was not the New Year's Eve he had planned on, but he wouldn't have traded it for the world._

_Verdant's theme for the evening: Masquerade. Everyone in attendance had gone all out for the theme too, with elaborate masks adorning every face in the room. For Oliver, his attire was a classic white button-down and fitted black slacks with a thin black mask that only covered his eyes – it actually looked kind of like one of those superhero masks that everyone knows does nothing to actually conceal the hero's identity._

_Early in the evening, a blonde had crashed into him and began profusely babbling her apologies while throwing in some likely unintentional compliments to his looks. He barely heard a word of it, though, because he was so captivated by the striking grey-blue eyes staring back at him, highlighted by the contrast between her stark white mask and the dark eyeliner and mascara she wore. They were beautiful... **she** was beautiful, and he needed to know more. _

_So, he interrupted her adorable babbling and asked her to dance._

_One dance turned into two, then two into three, which turned into a long conversation over drinks about everything and nothing at the same time, and which finally ended up taking them back out onto the packed dance floor just before midnight._

_Now, as the countdown to midnight approached, that very same blonde stood barely a breath away from him, there was one thing he still longed for that would make this night perfect._

_"7... 6... 5... 4..." The crowd continued boisterously._

_"What's your name?" He breathed out, his voice dropping to a low tone and sounding a little gravely to his own ears, likely a reflection of the desire he possessed for the woman in front of him._

_A hint of sadness clouded her eyes, making them greyer than they had been before. What frustrated him was that he couldn't decipher that look, as the mask she wore concealed most of her face. Instead, she only shook her head slightly, her movement limited by his hands still framing her face._

_"3... 2... 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!"_

_Before he could press her further, she had risen on her toes and pressed her lips to his, silencing any protests immediately._

_Her hand on his chest curled around his crisp white shirt and the other slid into his short locks, gently scraping at his scalp. Oliver responded in kind, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her close as he opened up to deepen the kiss. With each stolen kiss, they parted briefly to shift positions, only to drift back together seamlessly as if connected by magnets._

_After four, maybe five kisses – whatever it was, it wasn't enough -, she pulled away more distinctly now, though they remained close, with her covered nose gently brushing his. The contact was so gentle, so intimate, and it pulled a content hum from his lips because he would be happy to remain in this moment forever._

_Then, she pressed forward again, her lips brushing over his stubble-covered jaw as she pressed her cheek pressed to his._

_"Thank you."_

_She pulled back, leaning away from him as far as she could safely manage, though he tried to keep her close with the arm he still maintained around her waist. Just as the night began, her grey-blue eyes met his own bright blues, though this time no words were spoken._

_A tap on his shoulder seconds later reluctantly pulled him from her gaze as he looked over his shoulder._

_"HAPPY NEW YEAR, OLLIE!" A very boisterous and drunk Tommy yelled at him, his arms open wide for a hug._

_Glancing hesitantly at his companion, he slowly released her and turned to give his best friend a hug and slap on the back. "Happy New Year, Tommy." He echoed when they pulled away, managing a big smile for his friend because for the first time in a long time, he was truly happy._

_Tommy gave him one last slap on the shoulder and a big drunken smile before sauntering off into the crowd again._

_For a moment, Oliver laughed to himself as he watched his best friend walk away. When he finally turned back around, his mystery girl was nowhere to be seen._

_The pang of longing he felt earlier quickly overwhelmed the flash of hope he had felt too._

_The time he spent with her had been magical, to say the least. But, he had never gotten her name, had no idea who she was, and now she was gone without a trace, possibly never to be found again._

_A few hours later, long after he had quietly slipped away from the party, wanting to be alone, a text buzzed through on his phone._

_**UNKNOWN – If you really mean it and want to know my name, meet me at the exact same spot, New Year's Eve, one year from now. If not, then thank you for the most magical night.** _

* * *

**New Year's Eve 2017, 10:00 am**

This particular morning, Oliver walked through the rows of cubicles with a little more pep in his step. 

Today was the day. 

His heart even beat a little faster every time he thought about what tonight might hold. But, in the meantime, he had a few more things to take care of before the festivities began. 

Approaching a familiar door on the thirteenth floor of QC, he smiled to himself when he saw that it was wide open. Stepping into the entryway, he announced his presence with a soft knock on the door. "I thought I might find you here." 

A head of blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail whipped up from her computers to fix him with a frazzled look. "Wh-what are you doing here?" 

"Felicity, I work here." He laughed, and the smile that accompanied it crinkled his eyes. 

Pink slowly tinged her cheeks. "I know that, your name is on the building after all. I just meant, what are you doing here in my office, and here as in it's New Year's Eve." She rushed out quickly. 

Stepping into her office, he circled around her desk, taking a seat on a relatively empty corner of it and folding his hands in his lap as he gazed down at her. He didn't miss the slightly annoyed look she shot at his butt that was now perched on her precious desk, but she didn't say anything. A small smile that tugged at his lips. 

"I could say the same thing about you, you know." He retorted gently, his right eyebrow raising curiously. 

Turning her gaze away from him and back to her computer, suddenly she was a million miles away. "Oh, you know me. Lots of work to do." She supplied off-handedly with a one-shoulder shrug. 

Oliver's eyebrows tugged together slightly as he observed her. He wanted to ask her about it, because something was clearly bothering her, but he didn't want to ruin her New Year's Eve. "Um, are you at least planning on coming to the company party tonight? You can't work all day." He asked hopefully, playfully bumping the side of her thigh with his dangling foot. 

Finally turning her gaze to his again, she gave him a small sad smile, accompanied by a shake of her head. "I'm just going to curl up at home, watch some Netflix, and maybe have some wine. Big New Year's Eve celebrations aren't really my thing." 

Disappointment cut through him. It was more confusing than surprising. 

Lately, as New Year's Eve approached, he had been more conflicted than ever. He never stopped thinking about that night a year ago, and he was still desperate to know Mystery Girl's (her now official title) name. But, ever since a fateful day when he spilled his latte on his laptop almost eleven months ago now, his heart was being tugged another direction too. 

The shrill ringing of his cellphone cut through his thoughts and the mood that had settled over the room. With a curse, Oliver scrambled to quickly pull the phone out of his pocket. 

Tommy. 

He'd been expecting this call because it was of the utmost importance for his plans this evening. 

"I'm so sorry, I have to take this. Don't work too hard today, okay? And... at least consider coming tonight, please?" He pleaded quietly, both with his voice and his eyes. 

She held his gaze for a moment before her lips pulled up slightly. "Go take that call so I can get back to work, and so I can maybe think about coming tonight." She teased softly, gently shooing him away with one hand and turning her attention back to her computers. 

"Yes ma'am." He said with one last smile. 

Sliding off her desk and heading for her door, he finally picked up the call. "Hey Tommy." 

Just before exiting her quaint office, Oliver turned around to give Felicity one final wave and a hopeful smile which Felicity returned. 

Slipping around the corner, Oliver headed up to his own office, now with a small but permanent smile tugging at his lips. "Hey, are we still good for tonight?" 

" _Yeah, it's all arranged like you asked, even though I'm still bitter about how much profit we're going to lose over this._ " Tommy grumbled over the phone. 

Pressing the button for the elevator, Oliver chuckled to himself. "I told you I'll reimburse you for at least a portion of the profit you would have made from my personal savings account." 

" _Yeah, yeah, I know. And, I guess it's better to spend my evening with Laurel and her family than partying at Verdant._ " 

"Look at you, who would have thought that anyone could domesticate the infamous Tommy Merlyn." Oliver joked. He was more than happy for his best friend and his ex because they truly made each other happy, and that's all that mattered. "I don't think I've said this enough, but I'm really grateful you're doing this for me tonight." 

" _I know, and you know I hope this works out. If you finally get to meet this girl, then it'll be worth it._ " He responded genuinely just as Oliver was stepping out of the elevator onto the executive floor, though it seemed like Tommy wanted to say something else. 

There was a long pause from them both. 

" _What about Felicity?_ " Tommy eventually asked, the hesitation clear in his question. 

A long sigh ripped from his lips as he ran a hand over his face. "I- I honestly don't know, man. I just... have this feeling in my gut that I won't be disappointed if I go tonight, you know? I don't know what it means, but I feel like it's worth finding out." 

Tommy sighed. " _As long as you're happy, and you're sure this is what you want, then I'll support you and have everything ready to go for you._ " 

Plopping down in his office chair, his shoulders relaxed slightly. "Thanks, Tommy. Enjoy your night tonight and tell the Lance's hi for me, will you?" 

" _Of course. Good luck tonight, and I expect the payment and the details tomorrow._ " He responded with a laugh. 

That managed to pull a laugh from Oliver too. "I'll see what I can do. Bye, Tommy." 

When they both hung up, Oliver glanced down at the time in the bottom right corner of his computer screen. 

10:30 am. A little more than thirteen hours to go...

* * *

**New Year's Eve 2017, 11:40 pm**

Shifting on his feet, Oliver fidgeted with the buttons on his tux, checked his watch, and let his eyes scan the room for at least the 50th time this evening. 

Felicity had never shown up to the party, and it was fast approaching midnight. He had been waiting for her to show up all night, hoping that maybe, if she did, it would help him make a decision. Despite the tug-of-war going on inside his head, something still told him he needed to see this through because that night had been one of the best of his life. 

When a hand landed on his arm, his head quickly swiveled to the owner. "Oliver, dear, what's going on with you? You've been distracted all night and have barely spoken to anyone." His mom asked, the concern evident. 

Oliver gave his mom a placating smile. "I've just had a lot on my mind tonight." He said, placing a soft hand on his Mom's back and going to check his watch again. 11:42 pm. 

Turning his attention back to his mom, he gave her an apologetic smile and kissed her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Mom, but I really need to go. I have to be across town in less than twenty minutes." He said before taking off, leaving a very puzzled Moira Queen behind as he pushed through the crowds of people, heading for the parking garage where he'd left his Ducati. 

By the time he made it to his bike, slipped his helmet on and started it up, he checked his watch again just before taking off. 11:45 pm. 

A muffled curse slipped from his lips as he sped off, navigating the garage turns with ease and taking a sharp right the moment he exited the garage. Fifteen minutes was cutting it close, but it should be just enough time to make it to the Glades with a few minutes to spare. 

At least, that's what he thought until he hit a massive traffic jam on First Street. "Shit, shit, shit." He grumbled under his helmet. Oliver swiveled his head all around. The traffic was never ending, and all the feeder streets looked just as packed. Looking ahead again, a really stupid idea popped into his head. He promised himself years ago that he was done with bad decisions, but he was about to break that promise because this was important and he had no time to waste. 

Taking a deep breath and sending up a prayer to the love gods, he revved the engine and took off. Zooming in-between cars, he made his way down the packed street, ignoring the obnoxious honking of nearly every car he passed. At one point, he saw bright headlights in his peripherals and nearly panicked, but zoomed forward, narrowly avoiding getting hit by an oncoming car. 

Five minutes later, he emerged from the traffic onto a quieter street, successfully avoiding hitting anyone and being hit himself. Letting out the breath he'd been holding, Oliver sped off again, getting further and further away from the craziness of downtown Starling with every passing minute. 

It took him longer than he would have liked, but eventually he skidded his bike to a halt in front of Verdant and ripped his helmet off. Lifting his left arm, he pushed back the sleeve of his tux. "Shit." 

11:58 pm. 

Swinging his leg off the bike, he threw the helmet down and sprinted for the entrance where he was greeted by a familiar smiling face holding the door open for him. "Thanks, Dig! I owe you one!" He called over his shoulder as he ran by. 

"Go get her, man!" Dig called out after him. 

Oliver's heart stuttered in his chest as he forced his long legs to carry him down the dark entry corridor even faster. 

She was here. 

When he finally emerged in main room, he pulled up short. 

She was there, in the middle of the dimly lit room that was decked out in black, gold and silver decorations, absent-mindedly looking around the room, clearly nervous based on the way she twisted her hands together. 

Everything looked exactly the same. She wore the same gorgeous black dress and gold heels. The white mask that haunted his dreams covered her face, and her beautiful, long blonde curls were pulled over one shoulder so they cascaded down her chest. 

Time seemed to slow down when she slowly twisted around to face him, those captivating and... shockingly familiar eyes meeting his. 

"I didn't think you were going to show up." She whispered into the quiet room, though it sounded loud and clear to his ears. 

And it hit him like a freight train, his breath leaving him in one go as his heart gave one loud thump in his chest. 

That voice... he knew that voice... he knew everything about the woman in front of him... 

Taking a few long strides forward, he closed the distance until he was standing inches away from her. His shaky hands lifted from his sides, coming up to cup her face. Silently, they stared at each other, his shocked blue eyes staring back at her nervous grey-blues. 

With shaky fingers, he gently lifted the mask over her eyes and off her head, letting it fall to the floor without another thought. "I'm so blind." He breathed out as his eyes swept over her face, memorizing every single little detail because he couldn't believe what he was seeing. 

"Yeah, you really are, Queen." Felicity joked with a shaky laugh, lifting her hands to clutch the lapels of his tux coat. 

Quickly, he pressed his lips to hers, and Felicity gasped against his lips in surprise. But, the kiss didn't last long because soon he was peppering her face with kisses. 

"Why-" He kissed her lips. "didn't-" His lips brushed her nose. "you-" He placed a sloppy kiss on her right cheek. "tell-" He gave the same treatment to her left cheek. "me?" He finished, punctuating the question with another kiss to her lips before pulling away. 

Felicity giggled at his ridiculous kisses. Her laughter died down though the moment his question registered with her. Removing one hand from where it had been clutching his tux, she lifted it to stroke the stubble of his jaw gently. "I honestly never thought we would have a reason to cross paths outside of that night. And when we did, I wanted to wait and see if maybe this could really be something... see if that one night wasn't just a fluke." 

"I never stopped thinking about that night, you know." He whispered with a smile as he gently brushed a few of her curls behind her ear. "And then, I met you, and I was so conflicted because I was falling for you. I think we can safely say it wasn't just a fluke." He concluded, his smile widening as he thought about how incredibly lucky he was that his mystery girl was Felicity. 

Shifting their positions, Oliver wrapped both of his arms around her waist to pull her flush to him and Felicity easily wound her arms around his neck. Dipping his head, he wrapped his lips around hers in a longer, sensual kiss. Each kiss they shared was slow and languid, each just enjoying the moment without the craziness of drunk New Year's Eve party-goers around them. 

Pulling away from the kiss slightly, he tenderly brushed his nose against hers, his upper lip ghosting over hers as he spoke. "Happy New Year, Felicity." 

"Happy New Year, Oliver." She breathed out as she pulled him down for another kiss, both smiling like idiots as their lips met again.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading, and I'd love to hear your thoughts because they always make my day!


End file.
